MiCREATE · Project

Ready-Made Toolkits Help Schools and EdTech Companies Integrate Migrant Children

otherTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you're a teacher and suddenly half your class speaks different languages and comes from completely different backgrounds. How do you make sure every kid feels included and actually learns? This project went into schools across 13 European countries, talked directly to migrant children about what they actually need, and built practical toolkits — including a digital storytelling app and awareness-raising tools — that teachers can use right away. They tested everything in 18 real school settings, so it's not just theory sitting on a shelf.

By the numbers

Integration Labs piloted in real school settings

countries where case studies were conducted

countries represented in the consortium

partner organizations in the consortium

total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Schools across Europe are struggling to integrate growing numbers of migrant children, but teachers lack practical, tested tools for managing multicultural classrooms. Most existing resources are either too theoretical or not validated across different cultural contexts. Meanwhile, EdTech companies see growing demand for inclusion tools but have no research-backed content to build on.

The solution

What was built

The project built four concrete tools: a Digital Storytelling application for intercultural communication, an awareness-raising IC tool for schools, complete Integration Lab training content (guides, teaching modules, presentations, surveys), and ran 18 Integration Labs in real school settings. In total, the project produced 70 deliverables across its 3.5-year duration.

Audience

Who needs this

EdTech companies building multicultural classroom toolsTeacher training organizations seeking evidence-based inclusion contentEducation ministries and municipalities designing integration programsNGOs working with migrant and refugee children in educational settingsSchool networks managing diverse student populations across Europe

Business applications

Who can put this to work

EdTech / Educational Software

SME

Target: Companies developing learning management systems or classroom tools for diverse student populations

If you are an EdTech company building tools for multicultural classrooms — this project developed a tested Digital Storytelling application and an awareness-raising IC tool, piloted across 18 Integration Labs in schools in 10 countries. These ready-made modules could be integrated into your platform to address the growing demand for inclusion-focused educational software across Europe.

Teacher Training and Professional Development

any

Target: Organizations providing continuing education and certification for teachers

If you run teacher training programs and struggle to offer practical content on managing multicultural classrooms — this project created complete Integration Lab training content including teaching modules, sample presentations, and post-use surveys. The materials were developed with input from 16 partner organizations across 13 countries and tested in real school environments.

Education Policy Consulting

mid-size

Target: Consultancies advising municipalities and ministries on education and social inclusion

If you advise governments or municipalities on education policy for migrant populations — this project produced child-centered research findings from case studies in 10 countries, covering both qualitative and quantitative data. The policy recommendations are grounded in direct fieldwork rather than desk analysis, giving your advisory work an evidence base that clients trust.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt these tools?

The project was publicly funded under Horizon 2020 as a Research and Innovation Action. Based on available project data, the toolkits (Digital Storytelling app, IC tool, training modules) were developed with public funds, which typically means they are available under open or low-cost licensing terms. Contact the coordinator for specific licensing arrangements.

Can these tools scale beyond the pilot schools?

The tools were piloted in 18 Integration Labs across 10 countries, demonstrating cross-cultural adaptability. The training content includes guides, teaching modules, and sample presentations designed for replication. Scaling would require localization and teacher training, but the infrastructure is designed to be transferable.

Who owns the intellectual property?

As a Horizon 2020 RIA project, IP is typically retained by the consortium partners who created each deliverable. The coordinator (Znanstveno-raziskovalno sredisce Koper, Slovenia) can clarify ownership for each tool. The Digital Storytelling application and IC tool likely have specific IP arrangements within the consortium agreement.

Is there evidence these tools actually work?

The project ran 18 Integration Labs in real school settings and included post-use surveys as part of the training content. Case studies were conducted in 10 countries using both qualitative and quantitative child-centered research methods. The 70 total deliverables suggest extensive documentation of results.

What regulatory or policy alignment do these tools have?

The project was funded under the MIGRATION-05-2018-2020 topic, directly aligned with EU integration policy priorities. The project explicitly aimed to develop a child-centered migrant integration policy approach, meaning the tools are designed to meet current European policy requirements on inclusion.

How quickly could we implement these in our organization?

The Integration Lab training content includes ready-to-use guides, teaching modules, and sample PowerPoint presentations. Based on the project design, a school or training provider could begin implementation after a familiarization period using these materials. The project ended in June 2022, so all materials should be finalized and available.

Consortium

Who built it

The MiCREATE consortium of 16 partners across 13 countries is heavily research-oriented: 7 universities, 3 research organizations, and 6 other entities — with zero industry partners and zero SMEs. This is a 100% academic and public-sector consortium, which means the research quality is likely high but commercialization readiness is low. No company was involved in product development or market testing. For a business looking to adopt these tools, this means you would be the first commercial user — an opportunity to shape the product, but also a sign that significant productization work remains. The geographic spread across 13 countries (AT, CY, DK, EL, ES, FR, HR, IS, IT, PL, PT, SI, UK) does validate cross-cultural applicability.

ZNANSTVENO-RAZISKOVALNO SREDISCE KOPERCoordinator · SI
UNIVERSITAT WIENparticipant · AT
THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
CESIE ENTE DEL TERZO SETTOREparticipant · IT
STOWARZYSZENIE INTERKULTURALNI PLparticipant · PL
UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONAparticipant · ES
SYDDANSK UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR
HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · EL
HASKOLI ISLANDSparticipant · IS
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI

How to reach the team

The coordinator is Znanstveno-raziskovalno sredisce Koper (Science and Research Centre Koper) in Slovenia. Use the CORDIS contact form or search for MiCREATE project coordinator contacts via the project website.

Order a report on this consortium See ZNANSTVENO-RAZISKOVALNO SREDISCE KOPER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the MiCREATE team to discuss licensing their classroom tools or adapting them for your EdTech platform? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the research team.

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